Woman allegedly told mother ‘Just because she’s yours, doesn’t mean I can’t take her’ while attempting to kidnap 4 year old

San Antonio, Texas: 35-year-old Jessica Vegas was arrested on charges that she attempted to kidnap a 4-year-old girl on Monday, September 5, 2022.

According to the arrest affidavit the girl was in a shopping cart while her mother was shopping. Another child had their hands on the cart when Vega is accused of beginning to push the cart away, pulling it from the sibling's grip.

The mother began screaming after her, but Vega didn't stop until a Walmart employee intervened. At that point, the mother was able to extract her daughter from the shopping cart.

Vega reportedly told the mother, "Just because she's yours doesn't mean I can't take her," before turning and walking out of the store.

A loss prevention officer working at the location told officers that he recognized her from a previous, unspecified incident that had occurred at another Walmart.

Vega was arrested the following day.

Her bond was set at $50,000 which she later posted and was released on house arrest according to KSAT though jail records still list her as being in custody.

Vega previously made national headlines in 2012 when she appeared on "20/20" admitting that, with the assistance of a friend, she scammed friends and family out of more than $13,000 for a dream wedding and honeymoon by claiming that she had leukemia.

In an interview with KSAT, her now ex-husband said, "She's a really sick, twisted individual." Michael O'Connell went on to say, "I think she is absolutely evil and she knows exactly what she is doing."

Even her mugshot, he said, attests to his opinion saying, "That mugshot is all an act. She knows how to play the game and that was a direct setup for an insanity plea."